Inside Ilé-Ifẹ́

02/04/2026

29/03/2026

How they plan to keep... be careful

16/03/2026

*IFE YOUTHS ANNOUNCE PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION OVER ELECTRICITY CHALLENGES*

The Ife Youths Organization has announced plans for a peaceful demonstration to demand improved electricity supply and fairer billing practices from the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company across communities in Ile-Ife.

In a notice issued by the group’s publicity committee, the youth body called on sons and daughters of Ile-Ife, residents, and other concerned stakeholders to participate in the civic action aimed at drawing attention to the persistent challenges faced by residents, including irregular power supply and what they described as questionable billing practices.

*TII EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ARE IN FULL SUPPORT OF THIS HISTORICAL DEMONSTRATION.*

06/03/2026

OONIRISA at the British Museum carefully examining one of the famous Ife Heads — a priceless masterpiece of Yoruba civilization whose return he is currently negotiating with the British authorities.

This moment is more than symbolic. It represents a determined effort by OONI ADEYEYE ENITAN OGUNWUSI, OJAJA II to reclaim the cultural soul of a people whose history and artistic brilliance once astonished the world. The Ife Heads are not merely artifacts; they are sacred testimonies of a sophisticated African civilization that flourished centuries before colonial intrusion.

Kabiesi’s tireless diplomatic engagement in advocating for the repatriation of looted African antiquities deserves the highest commendation. Through dignity, persistence, and cultural leadership, the Ooni continues to stand as a global voice for the restoration of Yoruba heritage and the protection of our ancestral legacy.

However, as we press for the return of these priceless treasures, Nigeria must also prepare a befitting home for them.

This is a sincere appeal to the Federal Government of Nigeria to establish a World-Class National Museum in Ile-Ife — the cradle of Yoruba civilization. Such a monumental institution would preserve these antiquities, strengthen cultural scholarship, and transform Ile-Ife into one of the most important historical and cultural tourism destinations in the world.

These artifacts belong to Ile-Ife.
They belong to the land where our civilization was born.

May Kabiesi’s noble efforts continue to succeed until every stolen piece of our heritage finds its rightful way back home.

28/02/2026

OONI APPOINTS CHIEF SAKA AWOJODUN AS NEW JAARAN ADIMULA OF IFE

The Permanent Chairman of the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council (SNTRC), Arole Oodua Olofin Adimula and the Natural Head of the Oduduwa race worldwide, the Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II, has approved the appointment and installation of Chief Saka Awojodun as the new Jaaran Adimula of Ile-Ife, reaffirming the continuity of age-long traditional institutions in the ancient city.

In a statement issued on Friday by the Director of Media and Public Affairs, Ooni’s Palace, Otunba Moses Olafare said the installation rites, which were conducted on Thursday in line with sacred customs and traditions, took place on Thursday at the revered Ile Oodua Palace.

The ceremony attracted palace chiefs, traditional priests, and other key stakeholders within the Ife traditional council.

The Ooni, who was represented at the ceremony by the Obalufe of Ife, Oba Idowu Adediwura and the Lowa Adimula of Ife, Oba Adekola Adeyeye led the installation rites held at Oke-Emese within the palace premises.

The rites were performed in strict adherence to the customs that have guided the appointment of high-ranking chiefs in Ile-Ife for centuries.

Following the formal installation, the newly installed Jaaran Adimula was accompanied by traditional priests and palace functionaries on a symbolic procession around major compounds and sacred sites across Ile-Ife. The movement formed part of the spiritual and traditional rites required to formally assume the responsibilities attached to the exalted office.

Speaking during the ceremony, the Obalufe of Ife, Oba Idowu Adediwura, urged Chief Saka Awojodun to discharge his duties with integrity, humility, and unwavering loyalty to the throne of Oduduwa.

He emphasized the importance of preserving the sanctity of the institution and upholding the customs that define the identity of the Ife people.

Also addressing the gathering, the Lowa Adimula of Ife, Oba Adekola Adeyeye, encouraged the new Jaaran to see his elevation as a call to greater service.

He charged him to work harmoniously with other kingmakers and palace chiefs to strengthen unity within the traditional council and contribute meaningfully to the growth and stability of Ile-Ife.

In his acceptance remarks, Chief Saka Awojodun expressed profound gratitude to the Ooni for finding him worthy of the prestigious office.

He pledged his unalloyed loyalty to the throne and promised to uphold the traditions, values, and responsibilities associated with the title of Jaaran Adimula.

He assured the palace and the entire Ife community that he would serve diligently, protect the cultural heritage of the land, and support initiatives aimed at sustaining peace, development, and unity in Ile-Ife.

Prior to his installation, Chief Awojodun held the title of Yegbata of Ife and served as the head of the Emeses at the Ooni’s Palace, positions that prepared him for his new role within the hierarchy of the traditional institution.

The Jaaran Adimula is a senior member of the Ife kingmakers and plays a pivotal role in traditional matters, including succession processes and advisory functions within the palace. By traditional ranking, the Jaaran is next in hierarchy to the Lowa Adimula. Notably, the current Lowa Adimula, Oba Adekola Adeyeye, previously held the position of Jaaran Adimula before his installation by Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi as Lowa Adimula.

Signed;
Otunba Moses Olafare,
Director, Media and Public Affairs,
Ooni’s Palace,
Ile-Ife.

28/02/2026

NMDPRA commissions CNG refuelling facility at OAU

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) says its directorate, the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF), has commissioned an integrated compressed natural gas (CNG) refuelling facility at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun state.

28/02/2026

OONI APPOINTS CHIEF SAKA AWOJODUN AS NEW JAARAN ADIMULA OF IFE

The Permanent Chairman of the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council (SNTRC), Arole Oodua Olofin Adimula and the Natural Head of the Oduduwa race worldwide, the Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II, has approved the appointment and installation of Chief Saka Awojodun as the new Jaaran Adimula of Ile-Ife, reaffirming the continuity of age-long traditional institutions in the ancient city.

In a statement issued on Friday by the Director of Media and Public Affairs, Ooni’s Palace, Otunba Moses Olafare said the installation rites, which were conducted on Thursday in line with sacred customs and traditions, took place on Thursday at the revered Ile Oodua Palace.

The ceremony attracted palace chiefs, traditional priests, and other key stakeholders within the Ife traditional council.

The Ooni, who was represented at the ceremony by the Obalufe of Ife, Oba Idowu Adediwura and the Lowa Adimula of Ife, Oba Adekola Adeyeye led the installation rites held at Oke-Emese within the palace premises.

The rites were performed in strict adherence to the customs that have guided the appointment of high-ranking chiefs in Ile-Ife for centuries.

Following the formal installation, the newly installed Jaaran Adimula was accompanied by traditional priests and palace functionaries on a symbolic procession around major compounds and sacred sites across Ile-Ife. The movement formed part of the spiritual and traditional rites required to formally assume the responsibilities attached to the exalted office.

Speaking during the ceremony, the Obalufe of Ife, Oba Idowu Adediwura, urged Chief Saka Awojodun to discharge his duties with integrity, humility, and unwavering loyalty to the throne of Oduduwa.

He emphasized the importance of preserving the sanctity of the institution and upholding the customs that define the identity of the Ife people.

Also addressing the gathering, the Lowa Adimula of Ife, Oba Adekola Adeyeye, encouraged the new Jaaran to see his elevation as a call to greater service.

He charged him to work harmoniously with other kingmakers and palace chiefs to strengthen unity within the traditional council and contribute meaningfully to the growth and stability of Ile-Ife.

In his acceptance remarks, Chief Saka Awojodun expressed profound gratitude to the Ooni for finding him worthy of the prestigious office.

He pledged his unalloyed loyalty to the throne and promised to uphold the traditions, values, and responsibilities associated with the title of Jaaran Adimula.

He assured the palace and the entire Ife community that he would serve diligently, protect the cultural heritage of the land, and support initiatives aimed at sustaining peace, development, and unity in Ile-Ife.

Prior to his installation, Chief Awojodun held the title of Yegbata of Ife and served as the head of the Emeses at the Ooni’s Palace, positions that prepared him for his new role within the hierarchy of the traditional institution.

The Jaaran Adimula is a senior member of the Ife kingmakers and plays a pivotal role in traditional matters, including succession processes and advisory functions within the palace. By traditional ranking, the Jaaran is next in hierarchy to the Lowa Adimula. Notably, the current Lowa Adimula, Oba Adekola Adeyeye, previously held the position of Jaaran Adimula before his installation by Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi as Lowa Adimula.

Signed;
Otunba Moses Olafare,
Director, Media and Public Affairs,
Ooni’s Palace,
Ile-Ife.

28/02/2026

How One Local Chairman Did What a Nation Couldn’t
'Tosin Adeoti

A decade is a long time to live in darkness. In Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, it was daily life.

There is a line from Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises where the villain says he never saw light until he was already a man. It sounded theatrical when we first heard it. But for residents of Etche, the line has carried an uncomfortable realism. For ten years, electricity simply disappeared from their lives.

Then, quietly and without the usual federal grandstanding, the lights came back on.

After ten long years of blackout, Aba Power stepped in to supply electricity to the Rivers community. The unlikely breakthrough was brokered by the determined chairman of Etche LGA, Chima Njoku, who had campaigned on one central promise: end the darkness. After winning office, he did what many public officials often fail to do. He pursued the promise with persistence and imagination.

Etche technically falls under the jurisdiction of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company. Under normal bureaucratic culture, that would have been the end of the story. Files would gather dust and committees would be formed. The end result would be that residents would remain in darkness.

Instead, Njoku and Aba Power secured approval from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission for a cross-boundary supply arrangement. The switch was finally flipped.

This is why the Etche story matters far beyond one local government. It is a case study in something Nigeria chronically lacks: the will to solve problems creatively and stand firmly with the people who elected you.

Too often, governance in Nigeria stops at identifying constraints. This one cannot be done. That one is outside jurisdiction. Policy does not allow it. But effective leadership is rarely about operating within the most convenient interpretation of the rules. It is about finding lawful, innovative pathways around bottlenecks that have become comfortable excuses.

Some will call it thinking outside the box. Others, more bluntly, might call it finding loopholes. What matters is that it is done transparently, legally, and in service of citizens who have waited far too long.

The Etche intervention throws an even harsher light on Nigeria’s wider energy crisis. In April 2025, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed that roughly 80 million Nigerians still lack access to electricity. Even among the connected population, blackouts and grid collapses remain routine.

The federal government itself has quietly acknowledged the depth of the problem. A*o Rock is being moved off the national grid with a ₦10 billion solar project. The Energising Education Programme is building hybrid solar plants to take federal universities off the same fragile system. When the seat of power and centres of learning are both seeking escape routes from the grid, the diagnosis is no longer in dispute.

Nigeria’s electricity problem is not merely an urban inconvenience. In rural communities like Etche, it is an economic and humanitarian emergency.

Most rural communities are farming communities. That is where Nigeria’s food is grown. Without reliable electricity, cold storage becomes impossible and supply chains weaken. The Organisation for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa reported that Nigeria lost between 30 and 40 million metric tonnes of food to post-harvest inefficiencies in 2025 alone. The estimated economic loss was as high as ₦5 trillion.

Behind those frightening numbers lies a more painful truth. Every spoiled basket of tomatoes or tubers is not just an economic statistic. It is a meal that never reaches a household. It is income that never reaches a farmer and nutrition that never reaches a child.
The Global Hunger Index ranks Nigeria 115 out of 123 countries. Nearly one in five Nigerians is undernourished. More than a third of children under five suffer stunted growth linked to chronic malnutrition. The World Food Programme estimates that 35 million Nigerians face food insecurity.

This is why the return of electricity to one local government deserves national attention. It reminds us, as Joe Studwell’s recent book about Africa that I’m currently reading posit, that while Nigeria’s structural problems are large, the paralysis of leadership often makes them worse.

What happened in Etche was not magic. No, not magic at all. It was not even particularly complex policy innovation. It was a local leader deciding that ten years of darkness was unacceptable and then pursuing every legitimate pathway to fix it. What happened was vision meeting persistence and bureaucracy meeting determination. The result was light.

There is a broader lesson here for the president, governors, ministers, and local officials across the federation. Nigeria does not only suffer from lack of resources. It suffers from a shortage of urgency and imaginative problem-solving within the boundaries of the law.

The region and indeed the country need more leaders willing to ask harder questions. If the central grid is failing, what lawful alternatives exist. If jurisdictional boundaries are slowing progress, what regulatory approvals can unlock flexibility. If communities are waiting a decade for basic services, what unconventional partnerships can accelerate delivery.

Etche demonstrates that the room for action is often far wider than officials admit, and wider still than their most ardent supporters are willing to interrogate.